Frequently Asked Questions

What is STEM? And what is STEAM?

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths and STEAM adds the subject of Art to the mix. STEM subjects have been identified in the last several years as being crucial to include in the classroom from an early age to keep pace with a fast changing global landscape. The addition of Art is a relatively new concept, but correctly acknowledges the creative and humanities-based thinking that boosts STEM investigation and learning to another level.

Our Products

We are proud to offer high-quality 'unplugged' STEM / STEAM learning through play products from around the world, many of which are available exclusively in Australia and New Zealand through Mud Kitchen.

Prior to COVID restrictions, Mud Kitchen often produced pop up playgrounds in shopping centres, museums, and other community spaces for the public to enjoy.

We were also working on a hire and incursion program for schools and OOSH programs, but unfortunately, those plans are on hold at the moment as we determine the impacts of restrictions and lockdowns on the viability of events and product hire.

If you would like to let us know about a future opportunity or get on a 'first to know' hire list, please contact us for details.

Yes! Our products are safety tested and conform to Consumer Toy Safety Standards ISO 8124, EN71 and ASTM F963, which are the internationally-recognised standards for toy safety. We recommend our products for ages 3 and over only (and some for older ages only where listed), and strongly advise that all items are used under adult supervision.

Please note equipment should be inspected before each use for loose parts or damage, and replaced when necessary. Equipment that contains magnets or small parts is to be used with caution around young children.

The majority of our products are manufactured by our suppliers in the United States and Germany. Our Mud Kitchen-designed products are made in Australia, with some materials sourced from China. We also licence a few of our product designs for production in Europe and North America and are very proud to have a bit of Australian ingenuity engaging children around the world!

All of our products come with a minimum 12 months' manufacturer's warranty against defects.

At this time, we do not have a showroom open to the public. If you have questions about a particular product, please get in touch and we can help!

Ordering

The easiest way to order is directly through our website where you can browse, add to cart, and checkout simply and quickly. If you have any issues along the way, check for the 'chat' button in the bottom right corner and if there is a Mud Kitchen team member available to assist, we can do it directly there. If not, give us a ring on 1300 79 60 62 in Australia, or use the Contact Us page to send a message.

We are able to accept orders via email to sales@mudkitchen.com.au or by phone, however, phone orders will need to be followed up with a confirmation in writing.

Once you place your order and go through the check out process, you'll receive both an Order Confirmation email and a Tax Invoice. If you don't see either one of these, please let us know and we can be sure we have your order.

If you need a Quote, would like to use a Purchase Order, or require an invoice to make a payment on, see the 'Quotes, Purchase Orders & Invoices' section below for more details.

Our stock levels vary from day to day, and until an order is placed, we cannot guarantee that stock will be held for you. To check the in-stock status of an item, contact us for assistance.

For longer term stock shortages, on certain products, you will see a 'SOLD OUT' tag on their website image. Let us know if you are interested in one of these items as we can advise on the wait times.

For items with a shorter replenishment cycle, orders will still be able to be placed, though the wait time to receive the item will likely be extended slightly longer than usual.

We keep backordered items in our system and fulfill them as they arrive in our warehouse. As a result, you may receive your order in more than one shipment.

If you need to have an item by a certain date, or wish to cancel an item that is backordered, please contact us for help.

To apply a promo code to an order, please enter it in the indicated field on the check out page. Your discount will be applied if your order meets the criteria for the offer. If it is a special code that is available just for you, be sure you have used an email address for the order that our system would recognise as yours, so that the offer can be matched to you.

We accept all major credit cards, including American Express, or payment through Paypal. Additionally, you can choose to pay by Bank Deposit at check out. In this case, you will receive a tax invoice with bank details listed.

Once we receive your payment, your order will proceed to processing and dispatch at our warehouse. To ensure we know to allocate your bank deposit payment to your order, please forward a payment advice to us at accounts@mudkitchen.com.au with your Invoice Number as reference.

Invoice payments can be paid into the following account:

Playable Spaces Pty Ltd t/as Mud Kitchen

BSB 302-162

Account 156 88 65

Mud Kitchen (or our parent company, Playable Spaces Pty Ltd) has been set up as an approved supplier or on invoice payment systems with several major early childhood providers, Departments of Education in each state and territory, some local governments, and with several property/shopping centre groups around Australia.

If you are unsure if we are part of your supplier system yet, please get in touch with us for assistance. If we are not yet set up, we are happy to complete the required paperwork to get it done quickly and easily.

We often help organisations who want to get 'signature items' such as Magnet Walls, Big Blue Blocks, or other equipment for each of their multiple sites within an organisation. With certain group/bulk buys, we can offer savings over purchasing each piece individually, making these big items more budget-friendly. We can also work with you if you have an association or a buying group that would benefit from our products on a larger scale. Contact us for more details.

Quotes, Purchase Orders & Invoices

We know many of our customers rely on quotes to align with the purchasing requirements of their organisation, or to apply for a grant or other types of funding. Additionally, some of our larger products, like the Big Blue Blocks require a location-specific quote as the costs vary based on delivery post code.

We're very happy to help compile a comprehensive quote that allows to you to confidently allocate funds, set a budget, or submit with a grant proposal.

Simply contact us with the items on your purchase list, along with a delivery address, and we'll come back to you as quickly as possible. Please note quotes do have a limited validity time, particularly if a promotion is included, but we can discuss this with you at the time of the quote.

We are happy to accept Purchase Orders. If you are ordering through our website, at checkout, select the Purchase Order/Invoice option to complete your order. You'll receive an Order Confirmation and a Tax Invoice. If you need us to add the Purchase Order Number to the Tax Invoice and re-issue it, please contact us to do so.

If you would prefer to email the PO to us at sales@mudkitchen.com.au, we can enter the order manually for you and issue a Tax Invoice in the same manner as above. If you do not receive a reply with confirmation of an emailed order within 48 hours, please get in touch to ensure we have received it.

Please note, payment is required before orders ship unless your organisation is an approved account customer with a purchase history with us. Please contact us for more information.

In general, payment for all orders is required prior to dispatch. We understand that for some organisations this is not possible for various reasons. In certain circumstances, we are able to offer payment terms with invoices issued upon dispatch for approved customers with an existing order history. Please contact us for details.

Big Blue Blocks

Big Blue Blocks, known the world over as Imagination Playground, are one of Mud Kitchen's most popular products, and we get many questions about them! See our Big Blue Blocks page for a comprehensive overview or contact us for more details.

Assembly & Maintenance

Many of our larger products require assembly at the delivery destination. This will be noted in the product description. In general, standard tools are needed for assembly, and a guide is provided for each product that outlines the steps.

It is recommended to have two people on hand for assembly of heavier items such as Magnet Walls.

We do not provide an assembly or installation service, but can recommend using services such as Airtasker or flatpack assembly services for the job.

Most of our items can simply be wiped down after use with a soft, cloth slightly dampened with warm, soapy water. Do not allow any wooden items to get saturated or sit in water, as this will damage the wood.

Items listed for outdoor use are generally able to withstand relative extremes of heat and cold, but should be taken inside or under shelter where possible to further extend their longevity.

To sanitise items, use antibacterial wipes, spray or soap and gently wipe all surfaces.

Always inspect items before use to ensure there are not any damaged, broken, or missing elements that would make them unsafe.

Our products are chosen for their durability and long life under the stress of being enjoyed by groups of eager children. Occasionally, over time, pieces go missing or a part gets 'overloved.' When this happens, we will help however possible to offer additional replenishments of missing bits and pieces, or replacements for parts that have worn down with use.

Wholesale & Supplier Enquiries

If you have a product you think we should consider stocking, please contact us with more information - we'd be happy to chat!

At this stage, we do not generally wholesale any of our products for resale by other retailers. We do have one or two products that are able to be offered for wholesale purchase, and we would be happy to provide more details if you contact us.

Media, Blogger & Influencer Enquiries

We love to share our message of unplugged, screen-free learning through play with the world!

Many of our products have worldwide name recognition and have received extensive media exposure in the US and Europe. We're proud to be the exclusive providers of these quality brands in Australia and New Zealand, and can offer experts for interviews, quotes, research, and commentary on the importance of learning STEM / STEAM concepts through play, and how our equipment helps classrooms and communities to unplug to teach technology in innovative, creative ways.

If you are a member of the media, a blogger, or have a profile on social media that aligns with our values, and would like to connect with us to spread the word, please contact us and we'll get back to you as quickly as possible.